Mother’s Day: A Look at Flying With Family
As we celebrate Mother’s Day here in the UK, we want to acknowledge the mothers who fly, the mums who bravely agreed to be our first passengers, and the moms who don’t fly but have nurtured our love of aviation and been a pillar of support through our training.
Here are photos and quotes from members, reminiscing about current and past flights with close family members.
“Alex’s first flight in a microlight (age 6) with mum” – Shelley
“My gorgeous Mum and I flying together to Guernsey. 🥰 My parents are both incredible and have always encouraged me, supported me and believed in me. I am now so very fortunate to be able to both fly for work, AND for fun. I love you Mum!❤️”
– Sam (@reddogaviation)
“4 year old Granddaughter Keiko discovering the joys of RT with me at Barton. I’ve flown with 3 of our daughters & 4 of our grand children. Keiko is, hopefully, soon to fly with me too!” – Fiona Macaskill
“This is me with my daughter. We had an open day at the sim centre and could take family or friends along to have a go on the A320 sim. Please note that she has chosen the captains seat! 😂👍🏻”
– Lisa Humphrey
“My super mum Linda! Always supporting my sister (@warbirdhan) and I (@redairfox) in our flying ambitions. This is her completing a wing walk for her birthday with the awesome Aerosuperbatics team ❤️
She has also recently completed a skydive – a real air support mum legend. She is so brave and the most supportive lady I know and has always empowered my twin Hannah and I to achieve our flying goals 🥰 Fostering the spirit of aviation”
– Laura
“Here we have Mum’s taxi at its finest. I’m Isabelle’s taxi service while she’s only able to fly planes rather than drive cars. However it’s a pleasure to have been accepted into the BWPA family 🥰”
– Emma Gledhill
“This is a picture of myself and my kids in 2020. I purchased my PA28 the year before and in 2021, both started flying toward a PPL. The oldest is now a hot air balloon PPL and the youngest received her PPL in this airplane. I am a CFI for both but I was not their CFI. I am happy they’ve found flying on their own terms. Love being a mom to these two kids!”
– Janet Patton (@captain_janet)
“This is my mother. She wasn’t a pilot (but married Dad, a bomber pilot); She was a member of the FANYs and in the SOE, and a tough but very kind person”
– Peter Austin
“Flying Mum (Jacquie) to Shuttleworth to meet her husband at the Standard Car Club social the other year.
This was the first time Mum had flown as one of my passengers, and she got 2 flights as we dropped in to Bicester for fuel on the way. She’s always been a great supporter of my flying adventures, all she asks is ‘So, what’s next?’, not sure she wants the answer sometimes as she can look a little shocked when I tell her my plans 😂”
– Steph Smith (@southernfairy16)
“Happy Mother’s Day to my biggest supporter! Thank you so much for continuously supporting, accompanying and helping me through my journey. I do not know where I would be without you🥰”
– Annalise (@annalise.robinsonn)
“My mother was a stewardess for Swissair in the 1950’s and flew mostly on the DC3 and Caravelle. Sadly she had passed away long before I did my PPL although I’m sure she would have been one of my first passengers!! 🧡”
– Catherine Woehrel
“My Mumma, is sadly no longer with us and never got the chance to fly with me, was actually responsible for getting my Dad into flying when they met back in the 1980’s as she was having lessons. Fast forward a few decades and I am now a Mumma who flies… 💕 I endeavour to inspire my son and his friends to aim high, dream big and shoot for the stars. Picture of my son and I after arriving back from a local flight in G-ECAK.”
– Gemma
“My Mum, who died in July in her 101st year, was a great support, and very proud of me following Dad & my brother as a pilot (albeit not RAF but GA) despite my being old and having retired from my day job when I started!
She was my biggest fan – always asking what next I was going to do – night rating/IRR. She even came for a trip with me in C172, into the back of which she only just managed to clamber! She was very disappointed for me when I had to stop flying after the brain tumour surgery. She never stopped encouraging me. 😊”
– Jinny
“As I live in the UK and my family is in Canada, my PPL training was very theoretical to them – with regular photos, videos, and the occasional rambling chat about ground school – until my parents’ visit three months after I passed my Skills Test.
The Cessna 152 can only take one passenger, so each parent got one leg of the little outing from Cambridge to Turweston and back with me, and the other with my husband in our SR20. As a result, my mom was my very first non-pilot passenger, and I’m pleased to say that the flight and landing was buttery smooth.
I look forward to the next time we fly together, where I can take her further afield!”
– Vero Pepperrell (@thatcanadiangirl)
Some members also shared thoughts about their mothers without a photo:
“My Mom didn’t fly but she did bring up three kids alone and always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. I was very different to my sisters. Mad about aircraft, completely uninterested in anything vaguely girly.
She died from bowel cancer within 2 weeks of diagnosis when she was 60. This was in 1998 – and I like to think she would be super proud to see me achieve my dreams.
So I’d like to give a shout out to Sylvia Baker 1938-1998 – resilience, strength and integrity personified. 💪❤️”
– Lisa Hurley
Thank you to all the members who’ve shared their contributions. Finally, we have a bonus contribution from dog mum Natalie Heymans, taking another important child and family member flying.
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers!
